Autodesk 23703-010008-1600A - Civil 3D 2006 Essentials Manual

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008

Moving from Land Desktop
to Civil 3D

April 200723705-010000-5011A

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Acknowledgments

Jerry Bartels, C.N.E., Seiler Instrument, Help Becoming AWOL: Adept Without Land, Autodesk University 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Contents

Chapter 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Why Move to Civil 3D? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Civil 3D Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Preparing for the Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Assessing Current Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Choosing Pilot Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Dispersing Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Understanding Training Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Comparing Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Alignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Cross Section (Road Design) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Plan Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Terrain (Surfaces) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

v

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Comparing User Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

User Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Workspaces and Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Civil 3D Lines/Curves Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Comparing Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Points in Land Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Points in Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Surfaces in Land Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Surfaces in Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Alignments and Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Alignments and Profiles in Land Desktop . . . . . . . . . . 53

Alignments and Profiles in Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Chapter 3 Setting Up Styles in Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Overview of Styles in Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Style Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Styles Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Styles Hierarchy and Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Label Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

The Label Style Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Table Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Tips for Working with Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Chapter 4 Tools for Moving Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Overview of Moving Land Desktop Data into Civil 3D . . . . . . . . . 80

Opening a Land Desktop Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Setup Object Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Using the Import Data From Land Desktop Command . . . . . . . . . 82

Converting Point Data from Land Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Importing Point Data from Land Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Using LandXML Export and Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

LandXML Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

LandXML Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Civil 3D Migration Commands Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Chapter 5 Adopting Civil 3D Project Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Overview of Civil 3D Project Management Features . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Using External References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

vi | Contents

Using Data Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Using Autodesk Vault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Understanding Autodesk Vault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Implementing Autodesk Vault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Organizing Your Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Setting Up Working Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Project User Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Prospector Toolspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Vault Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Microsoft Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Backup Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Civil 3D Workflow with Autodesk Vault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Level 1: Creating Individual Design Objects . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Level 2: Creating Base, Linework, and Engineering Drawings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Level 3: Creating Top-Level Production Sheets . . . . . . . . . . 117

Assessing Your Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Chapter 6 The Next Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Contents | vii

viii

Getting Started

1

This guide will be helpful for individual civil engineers,

designers, surveyors, and drafters who are moving to Civil 3D,

as well as for IT and CAD managers who are assessing the

overall process of moving to Civil 3D.

In this chapter

■ Why Move to Civil 3D?

■ Civil 3D Features and

Benefits

■ Preparing for the Move

1

Why Move to Civil 3D?

Perhaps your organization has already made the decision to move from Land
Desktop to Civil 3D. If so this chapter reinforces why that decision was the
right one. If your organization is still in the process of evaluating whether it
should move from Land Desktop to Civil 3D, this chapter will help you
understand the compelling arguments for doing so.

The following sections describe some of the important benefits you’ll realize
by moving from Land Desktop to Civil 3D.

Dynamic Model-Based Design

Projects created with Civil 3D use a dynamic engineering model that links
design and production drafting. As a result, a change to one part of the design
propagates throughout the entire project, greatly reducing drafting errors as
well as the time it takes to implement design changes and evaluate multiple
design scenarios. For example, if you adjust the vertical design alignment,
Civil 3D automatically updates the road model, redisplays proposed contours,
recalculates volumes, updates profile labels, and corrects section plots for the
road. If you change the curve length on your alignment, the profile, corridor
model, and plotted cross sections are all updated. If you lower a building pad,
you can immediately retrieve updated volumes and display the new limits of
construction. Civil 3D effectively maps the civil engineer's work process into
an easy-to-use and powerful software environment, saving time and money,
and reducing errors.

Better Control of Standards

Civil 3D allows you to easily deploy and automatically enforce organizational
standards for design data by employing style features that are built directly
into drawing templates (*.dwt files).

A variety of drawing templates with predefined styles come with Civil 3D.
These can be used as a starting point for creating your own custom templates
and styles. Typically in an organization, custom drawing templates are created
and maintained either by one or by a few persons and shared with the team
or teams. A CAD manager can store the templates in a read-only location
where the rest of the team can access and use them, but not modify them.

When new styles are needed, it is just a matter of updating the template from
the current drawing, or updating the current drawing from a template. New
styles can be dragged from one drawing into a template using the Civil 3D
Toolspace.

2 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

Cutting Edge Technology

At the time it was introduced, Land Desktop represented best in class
technology for automating standard engineering processes. Many organizations
have been using Land Desktop for as long as a decade, proving that it is a
dependable platform for creating construction documents for the civil
engineering industry; however, the technology platform on which Land
Desktop is designed has evolved to its limit.

Civil 3D was built from the ground up to be completely integrated with
AutoCAD—the world’s most widely used CAD platform. It is designed to
support all types of civil engineering projects, from site design and local roads,
to major highways and interchanges, and utilizes three-dimensional, dynamic,
model-based design technology. This advanced technology provides you with
a whole new set of tools and workflows that will let you create and evaluate
designs faster and more precisely.

Increase Design Alternatives

The Civil 3D dynamic engineering model lets you explore conceptual proposals
and complete final designs faster than in Land Desktop. For example, you can
begin by quickly laying out various alignment alternatives for a proposed
roadway. You can then begin refining alignments, profiles, and the makeup
of the roadway cross section until the best design proposal has been developed.
With each change, all related objects and drawings are updated automatically.
This functionality allows you to evaluate more design alternatives in less time,
providing your customers with a higher level of service and differentiating
your firm from the competition.

Create Plan and Profile Sheets Faster

Civil 3D provides an environment where drafting is derived directly from the
model using display styles. The style-based environment helps to ensure that
objects and annotation in the drawing conform to production standards. Civil
3D also provides civil/survey-specific drafting tools and advanced drafting
features, such as the new plan production tools for roadway sheet generation.
Tools such as these automate what would typically be numerous steps in Land
Desktop, resulting in improved production drafting efficiency.

Dynamically Link Designs with Production Drafting

Civil 3D dynamically links drafting elements, such as alignment or parcel
labels and tables, with the engineering model so that a change to any part of
the model produces updated annotation automatically. These intelligent labels

Why Move to Civil 3D? | 3

and tables also reflect any changes in the drawing scale and view orientation.
For example, if you change the scale of the plan from 1:50 to 1:100, the
annotation automatically resizes to maintain the proper size in completed
construction documents. If you rotate the view orientation of the plan, the
annotation of the objects automatically rotate to maintain plan readability.
Automatic updating minimizes time-consuming and costly manual editing
of drafting elements and helps ensure the accuracy of your final construction
documentation. This minimizes the need to redraft when design changes
occur. After your drafting is generated, the model and Civil 3D annotation
remain in sync.

Advanced Data Sharing and Project Management

Civil 3D has scalable, multiuser data sharing and project management
functionality that includes the use of AutoCAD xrefs, data shortcuts, and
project management support based on Autodesk® Vault. These features help
small and large project teams complete projects more quickly and with less
risk of errors. Multiple members of a design team can access survey
observations, points, surfaces, alignments, profiles, corridor models, and pipe
networks so that multiple people in different departments can work on a
project simultaneously. You can share an alignment across multiple
drawings—while each drawing has different annotation and object appearance.
If the master alignment changes, the alignment in all your secondary drawings
is updated automatically. There is no need to re-create any drafting—plan and
profile remain in sync. By using one or more of these features, everyone on
the team can work on files simultaneously, and be assured that everyone is
using the most up-to-date project data.

Data Compatibility

You can use Civil 3D to work with any DWG™ drawing files, read and write
MicroStation® DGN drawing files, and import and export Land Desktop project
data. Civil 3D also works with LandXML data and GIS data formats, including
ARC/INFO® coverages and Export (E00), ArcView® Shape, and more, allowing
you to do conceptual studies using free or low cost data from various sources.
You can also use Civil 3D to export model graphics and metadata for use
outside of Civil 3D. For example, a published DWF™ file includes all of the
model data, such as pipe size and material, so that someone reviewing the
design in Autodesk® Design Review can have all the information they need
to validate the proposal.

Using Civil 3D, you can export model elements, such as parcels, pipes, and
alignments, to SDF format for use in GIS applications, such as AutoCAD® Map
3D, Autodesk MapGuide® Enterprise, or Autodesk® Topobase™ software. Civil

4 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

3D also supports interfacing with the industry-leading data collectors from
companies such as Leica, Trimble, and Carlson. Civil 3D data compatibility
creates an integrated CAD and GIS solution that making it easier to work with
both internal and external engineering and GIS departments or consultants.

Visualization and Rendering Features

Civil 3D includes all of the rendering capabilities of AutoCAD software. These
features help you quickly communicate design proposals. For example, drawing
elements representing roadway components can be rendered with specific
materials so that they automatically render a particular surface or subsurface
material. Surface models can be easily broken into subareas that display as
different materials. The rendering features are easy to use and handle a range
of detail, from simple shading to photorealistic images. Civil 3D also includes
utilities to help you integrate your design models into the Google Earth
mapping interface for quickly communicating design intent to nontechnical
audiences.

Because Civil 3D is built on AutoCAD software, experienced AutoCAD users
can work in a familiar environment, with tools and processes they already
know, while also taking advantage of the engineering, surveying, and
industry-specific drafting tools that are native to Civil 3D.

Civil 3D Features and Benefits

™

This section discusses in more specific terms some of the key Civil 3D design
features that will provide significant benefits compared to Land Desktop.

Better Project and File Management Features

Unlike the project management solution in Land Desktop, the project
management solution in Civil 3D is a scalable, comprehensive multi-user
project management system that provides project teams with appropriate
levels of access to the data they need. It facilitates the organization of files,
distribution of files over a network, version control, check-in and check-out,
and rollbacks. Civil 3D includes a range of file management features that suit
varying levels of project management needs—from drawing-based shortcuts
and xrefs to the full-scale project management solution features.

The Civil 3D project management solution leverages the data management
capabilities of Autodesk® Vault to allow project teams to work more efficiently
and with less risk of coordination errors as modifications occur in the project

Civil 3D Features and Benefits | 5

cycle. For more information about the project management solution in Civil
3D, and how to integrate these features into your workflows, see Chapter 5.

Improved Point Features

Create points using a variety of coordinate geometry (COGO) and graphical
methods. Because Civil 3D points are a part of the engineering model, and
not maintained in an external file, changes made to the points are dynamically
reflected in the model. For more information about Civil 3D point
functionality, and how it compares to Land Desktop point functionality, see
Chapter 2.

Improved Surface Features

Build surfaces from a variety of 3D source data. Analyze contours, slope,
elevation, and watershed areas, and update contours, volumes, and surface
analysis instantly when making surface edits. Civil 3D updates surfaces when
data is added or edited, and rebuilds the surface when data is removed. For
more information about Civil 3D surface functionality, and how it compares
to Land Desktop surface functionality, see Chapter 2.

Improved Parcel Features

Dynamic relationships mean that parcel collections are always up-to-date.
Civil 3D integrates parcels that are within a single site topology, so a change
to one parcel creates related changes in neighboring parcels.

Improved Alignment Features

The Civil 3D alignment object includes tangent, curve, and spiral features and
enables the addition of any labeling required in the finished plans. You can
edit using a tabular editor or graphical interface to automatically update the
alignment’s labeling. You can also share alignment and profile data across
drawings for use by multiple project team members. For more information
about how you work with alignments in Civil 3D, see Chapter 2.

Improved Profile Features

Extract profiles of multiple surfaces based on alignment geometry,
automatically control the profile appearance and annotation based on the
styles that you select, and update profile labeling and drafting dynamically.
For more information about how you work with profiles in Civil 3D, see
Chapter 2.

6 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

Improved Corridor Modeling Features

Generate a dynamic model of any road, rail, or corridor project by using design
elements—such as alignments, profiles, superelevation, and other design
criteria—that can apply constraints and other customized behavior into the
model. Changes made to the elements that were used to create the model
result in updated corridor volumes, surfaces, sections, and other analysis and
output. Civil 3D provides real-time editing of individual stations or station
ranges along the road. These are just some of the advanced road modeling
features that are only available in Civil 3D.

Improved Subassembly Catalog

Civil 3D provides you with a catalog of approximately 100 preconfigured
subassemblies of typical roadway components such as lanes, curbs, sidewalls,
ditches, rails, even a basic bridge. You can use these as is in your model or use
them as starting points to design your own catalog of custom components
for typical roadway sections (assemblies). They are easily accessible from a
convenient Tool Palette that includes graphical representations of the shapes.

Improved Section Features

Extract and draft surface and corridor sections. Select sections at specific
stations, at intervals along alignments, or at specific points, and create section
plots for a single station or full section sheets.

Improved Site Grading Features

Combine multiple grading elements into one group to find solutions for
complex grading problems. Grade into surface, elevation, or distance targets.
Balance cut/fill volumes dynamically for an entire site or a single grading
object. Build a static or dynamic surface from grading groups. While similar
tools exist in Land Desktop, you will quickly find that the way they function
in Civil 3D is simpler, more intuitive, and more feature-rich.

Improved Pipe Features

Lay out sanitary and storm drainage systems as dynamic, interactive pipe
networks. You can make changes to pipes and structures using graphical as
well as numeric input. Changes to a pipe network automatically update the
drafting (labels). You can plot and complete final drafting of the pipe network
in plan, profile, and section views, and you can use rendering and visualization
features to produce realistic representations.

Civil 3D Features and Benefits | 7

In addition, an easy-to-use graphical interference-checking feature lets you
quickly identify pipe network parts that collide with each other or exist in
undesirable locations. You can also share pipe network information, such as
pipe and structure material and size, with external analysis applications.

Improved Survey Features

Survey features are integrated into Civil 3D. There is a consistent environment
for survey tasks, ranging from field book import, least squares adjustment,
and editing of survey observations, to management of point groups, creation
of surfaces, and layout of parcels and alignments from field data.

Preparing for the Move

This section describes the items you should consider before you move from
Land Desktop to Civil 3D.

Assessing Current Workflows

The first step in moving from Land Desktop to Civil 3D is to assess your
organization’s current workflows for designing and delivering engineering
design projects. A clear understanding of your current workflows and processes
will help you implement Civil 3D software successfully and be better able to
validate results. For example, is your current workflow documented in any
way, either at a conceptual or detail level? You might want to consider at least
diagramming your current workflow, at a conceptual level, as you assess it.
This step will help you as you begin your transition from Land Desktop to
Civil 3D.

An important aspect to consider is how or whether your organization utilizes
IT or CAD management resources. For example, in your organization, do you
have specific individuals who are responsible for installing and maintaining
tools and software? Do you have one or more individuals responsible for
maintaining your company’s drawing standards?

This is an important aspect to consider because, depending on the size and
complexity of your organization, you may need to schedule IT and/or CAD
management resources during the Civil 3D implementation phase.

8 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

Choosing Pilot Projects

The next step is to determine which project or projects in your organization
are the best ones to use as pilot projects. Choosing a pilot project that has the
following characteristics will help make the process of learning to use Civil
3D go smoothly. It may be best to choose a project that

■ has a straightforward design that your company is familiar with

■ has a flexible and willing client—if you choose billable projects

■ is a smaller job

In other words, a large master-planned community for a new client, in a
location your organization is not familiar with, is probably not the best project
to use as your first Civil 3D pilot project.

There are two general approaches to consider when deciding how to implement
your pilot projects: using completed Land Desktop projects, and starting new
projects from scratch. The first approach, using completed Land Desktop
projects and recreating them using Civil 3D, can provide you with the
following benefits:

■ The timeline for the pilot project is not tied to a client deadline or

milestone; in other words, the end date is open-ended.

■ Encountering any unforeseen problems during this pilot effort have no

impact on client-related deliverables.

■ There are no budgetary constraints other than accounting for the

non-billable time spent training.

■ There is less pressure on team members.

However, there are some drawbacks to consider when using existing Land
Desktop projects as a pilot projects:

■ Without a timeline and the rush of client demands, many people find it

hard to work effectively and with their usual level of detail.

■ Because you are not creating a design from scratch, but rather recreating

an existing design, some portions of the design process might not be fully
explored using this type of pilot, leading to a false sense of security.

Choosing Pilot Projects | 9

■ Using existing Land Desktop projects does not allow you to gather

real-world metrics on design and production timelines for measuring the
success of Civil 3D in a real-world project environment.

When you use the second approach—starting a new project from scratch in
Civil 3D—the experience presents a broader spectrum of real-world issues and
scenarios. A real-world billable project will allow you and your team to learn
how to better deal with the actual design process, plan production, change
orders, and plan reviews.

Dispersing Knowledge

Your pilot projects will lead the way in how you train others in your
organization to use Civil 3D as a design platform. The following are some
different methods to consider for dispersing the knowledge gained from
working on pilot projects:

Rotating Pilots—Using this method, each design team is trained one at a time,
with one group following another. This allows a group of individuals to be
trained on an entire project in Civil 3D before moving on to train the next
group of individuals. It is highly recommended that each design team complete
a basic level of Civil 3D training before they begin a pilot project. Using this
method typically means training to various levels, and covering the full extent
of the product in every pilot project since each team will be new to Civil 3D
for each one. This process can be expensive because expert-level trainers would
be used for each team. However, with this method, because each group except
the first one will have coworkers that can provide guidance to others, the
learning curve for each subsequent group should lessen.

Shared Knowledge Pilots—Using this method, the initial project team consists
of individuals who have already completed basic Civil 3D training, and who
are using a pilot project as advanced training. The team completes the first
pilot project at an organization, developing standards, styles, operating
practices, and templates along the way. After this project is complete, this
group disseminates knowledge to the next group. These team members then
become responsible for teaching the basics to the next generation of users,
honing their own skills in the process. This method can be less expensive than
rotating pilots, but can also result in a slower adoption rate, and a higher risk
that individuals may not be learning all of the best practices and techniques
that they could be learning.

Hybrid Pilot—This method combines some characteristics of the previous two
methods. A hybrid pilot methodology typically includes basic training for an

10 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

initial group of individuals from an expert-level, third-party trainer. This team
completes a pilot project, working in tandem with a trainer to build styles
and standards in preparation for more widespread Civil 3D deployment. After
this first pilot project is complete, these individuals are then used with the
expert as a training core, rotating through remaining teams and acting as
mentors for peers.

With this approach, the first generation of individuals learns how to use the
product while having the trainer immediately available for assistance if needed.
Because this method allows local users to be more involved in the training of
the next generation of users, more customization based on skill levels is
possible.

By reviewing your goals for implementation speed and cost, you can decide
on a pilot and training methodology and begin detailed planning for your
user-base training.

Understanding Training Resources

Whether it’s time spent learning how to use the product on your own, or time
spent attending an offsite or onsite training class, make sure that your pilot
project strategy includes the appropriate amount of time for individuals to
learn how to use the Civil 3D software.

The following sections describe a variety of training resources that are available
for learning how to use Civil 3D. They include:

■ Civil 3D product documentation

■ Autodesk training programs and products

■ Autodesk website

■ Other resources

Civil 3D Product Documentation

You’ve already taken the first step by reading this book. After reading through
this book, you should peruse the other online documentation components
available with Civil 3D. They provide both the information you need to get
started using the software and a complete descriptions of all Civil 3D features.

Understanding Training Resources | 11

The following is a list of the Civil 3D product documentation components
that are automatically available when you install Civil 3D and that are
accessible from the product’s Help menu:

■ Getting Started Guide

■ Online tutorials

■ Help system

■ Moving from Land Desktop to Civil 3D (this guide)

■ New Features Workshop

Getting Started—This guide introduces the most important concepts in Civil
3D. After reading through it, and perhaps completing some of the suggested
exercises using the sample files, you should feel comfortable enough to start
experimenting on your own. In addition to being available from within the
product, this guide is also available as a free PDF download from the Autodesk
website, or you can order additional printed copies from the Autodesk Store
at www.autodesk.com/store.

Online Tutorials—The tutorials offer an in-depth guided tour of the major
features, using realistic engineering drawings and data. To gain a thorough
knowledge of Civil 3D, it is recommended that you explore the tutorials after
you have read through the conceptual information provided by the Getting
Started guide.

Help System—The Civil 3D Help system is a compiled HTML Help system that
provides comprehensive information about all Civil 3D features. It is available
by clicking Help menu ➤ Help ➤ AutoCAD Civil 3D Help. A PDF version
of the Help system, referred to as the User’s Guide, is available by clicking
Help menu ➤ User’s Guide (PDF).

New Features Workshop—The New Features Workshop provides a graphical
preview of features that are new with each version of the product. It includes
descriptions of AutoCAD and Map 3D features in addition to new Civil 3D
features. If you are moving from one version of the product to another, this
is a useful tool for quickly understanding what’s new in the products. If
everything is new to you, it is still a great way to get a quick overview of certain
features. It is available by clicking Help menu ➤ New Features Workshop.

Autodesk Training Programs and Products

As you transition from Land Desktop to Civil 3D, you may want to invest in
some level of formal Autodesk training. Autodesk training programs and

12 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

products help you learn the key technical features of your Autodesk software
quickly. For the latest information about Autodesk training, visit
www.autodesk.com/training or contact your local Autodesk representative. The
following sections describe the various Autodesk training programs and
products.

Autodesk Authorized Training Centers—To be more productive with Autodesk
software, consider getting trained at an Autodesk Authorized Training Center
(ATC®). These hands-on, instructor-led classes help you get the most from
your Autodesk products. Enhance your productivity with proven training
from over 1,400 ATC sites in more than 75 countries. For more information
about Autodesk Authorized Training Centers, contact [e-mail]
or visit the online ATC locator at www.autodesk.com/atc.

Autodesk Official Training Courseware—Autodesk Official Training Courseware
(AOTC) is technical training material developed by Autodesk. The modules
are designed for 1/2-day to 5-day instructor-led classroom training. They are
typically used by Authorized Training Centers and other Autodesk partners,
but these materials are also well-suited for self-paced, stand-alone learning.
The manuals cover key concepts and software functionality with hands-on,
step-by-step, real-world exercises. You can purchase AOTC “Essentials”
courseware from your local Autodesk representative or distributor, or you can
order it online from the Autodesk Store at www.autodesk.com/store.

e-Learning—Autodesk e-Learning for Autodesk Subscription customers features
interactive lessons organized into product catalogs. Each lesson is 20 to 40
minutes in length and features hands-on exercises, with an option to use
either a simulation or the software application. You can also use an online
evaluation tool that identifies gaps in skills, determines which lessons will be
most helpful, and gauges learning progress.

If you are a member of Autodesk Subscription, you can access e-Learning and
other subscription services from within your Autodesk product. For more
information about Autodesk subscription resources, visit
www.autodesk.com/subscription.

Autodesk Website

A wealth of other resources are available from the Autodesk website. For
example, you may want to check out the Civil Engineering Community portal,
Skill Builder tutorials, current white papers, or weekly webcasts, just to name
a few. Also, a variety of useful items are frequently updated and posted on the
Autodesk Civil 3D website.

Civil Engineering Community Portal—Become a member of the Autodesk Civil
Engineering Community to stay current with your industry, grow your

Understanding Training Resources | 13

professional network, and take advantage of a host of resources. Benefits of
membership include access to Civil 3D content sharing, member discussions,
blogs, local events, webcasts, and user-submitted tips and tricks. You are sure
to hear from other Land Desktop users who have already moved or are in the
process of moving to Civil 3D. To access the portal, visit
www.autodesk.com/civilcommunity.

Skill Builders—Civil 3D Skill Builders are advanced learning exercises you use
to practice performing specific design tasks using Civil 3D drawings. To
download Civil 3D Skill Builders, visit
www.autodesk.com/civil3d/training/howtoarticles/skillbuilders.

White Papers—A variety of white papers on targeted industry-driven topics
are available from the Autodesk Civil 3D website. You can get in-depth
technical information, competitive briefings, and valuable return on
investment (ROI) analyses. To download Civil 3D white papers, visit
www.autodesk.com/civil3d/productioninformation/whitepapers.

Civil 3D Weekly Webcasts—Each week, the Civil 3D management and
development teams host live webcasts featuring a variety of topics. This is a
unique opportunity to interact with the experts and gain valuable product
knowledge. From basic “Getting Started” sessions to advanced corridor
modeling tasks, there is something for every type of user and skill level. The
webcast sessions are recorded and are available on-demand via download. In
particular, you may be interested to view the Chronicles of Civil 3D webcasts.
This series of recorded sessions chronicles in real time the experiences of a
Maine-based civil engineering firm implementing their first Civil 3D pilot
project. It provides an inside look at how a small-town engineering firm, well
accustomed to using Land Desktop, used Civil 3D for the first time to generate
designs plans on a billable subdivision project.

To access recorded versions of the Chronicles of Civil 3D and other Civil 3D
webcasts, visit www.autodesk.com/civil3d/webcasts.

Other Resources

You may also want to research third-party books and learning materials that
are available from a variety of sources.

14 | Chapter 1 Getting Started

Comparing Land
Desktop and Civil 3D

Maybe you knew how to do something in Land Desktop but

you need to find out how to perform the same function using

Civil 3D. Where do you look in Civil 3D to find features that

were familiar to you in Land Desktop? This chapter presents

a variety of information that will help you quickly learn how

to discover features and accomplish tasks in Civil 3D. It

compares terminology, user interfaces, and some of the most

commonly used features in both products.

2

In this chapter

■ Comparing Terminology

■ Comparing User Interfaces

■ Comparing Features

15

Comparing Terminology

This section provides a list of terms that are common in the Land Desktop
product and identifies the corresponding terminology that is used in the Civil
3D product.

For some features, the difference in terminology is subtle. For example, in
Land Desktop a group of connected pipes is referred to as a “pipe run”, but
in Civil 3D they are referred to as a “pipe network” on Civil 3D menus,
toolbars, dialog boxes, and in Civil 3D drawings.

For other features, the difference in terminology is quite distinct, indicating
that there is more than just a difference in terminology. For example, in Land
Desktop, you manage point groups using the Point Group Manager. In Civil
3D, you manage point groups using the Point Groups collection on the
Prospector tab in Toolspace. Using the Toolspace Prospector is a completely
different way of working with features that brings consistency across a number
of tools.

Refer to the following tables to help you become familiar with terminology
in Civil 3D. These tables may be handy references for you until your transition
to Civil 3D is complete.

General

The following table compares the differences in terminology between some
general features in Land Desktop and the corresponding features in Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Drawing templateUser Preferences
Toolspace Settings tabPrototype Settings

Drawing Settings

Drawing SettingsDrawing Setup

Quick Section

Profiles menu ➤ Quick Profile

Feature Line tools3D Polyline commands

Report ManagerReports/File Output

16 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Alignments

The following table compares the differences in terminology between
alignment features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

■ Polyline

Station Labels

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Inquiry ToolList values

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Create By LayoutDefine From Objects
Create From Polyline

Alignment Label StylesAlignment Labels

■ Station

■ Station Offset

■ Line

■ Curve

■ Spiral

■ Tangent Intersection

Cross Section (Road Design)

The following table compares the differences in terminology between cross
section (road design) features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Alignment Layout ToolbarEdit

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Create AssemblyDraw Template

■ Subassemblies – From Catalog

■ Subassemblies – From Polyline

Alignments | 17

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Corridor Model PropertiesDesign Control

■ Parameters

■ Targets

Assembly Properties

View/Edit Corridor SectionView/Edit Sections

Ditches/Transitions

List Section Data

Label Sections

Alignments/Profiles
Subassembly logic
Corridor Model Properties – Targets

Create Sample LinesSample Existing Ground

Sample Line Group PropertiesSection Plot Settings

Create Views (Section)Section Plot

■ Single

■ Multiple

Inquiry Tool – Section View
Inquiry Tool – Section

Section Label Styles
Section View Styles
Section View Band Styles
Section View Labels

Quantity TakeoffsTotal Volume Output

Surface Volume Output

18 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Composite Volumes Panorama utility
Volume Surface

Corridor Model SurfaceRoad Output

Grading

The following table compares the differences in terminology between grading
features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Grading Creation ToolsGrading Wizard

Feature LineFootprint

Grading CriteriaTargets and Slopes, Daylighting

Grading StyleAppearance

Inquiry

Grading Properties

Grading Editor
Grading Properties

Automatic Surface CreationCreate Surface
(Grading Group property)

Grading Volume ToolsCalculate Volume, Balance Volume

The following table compares the differences in terminology between inquiry
features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Inquiry Tool – Point InverseNorth/East
Lat/Long
Geodetic Inverse

Station Offset – Alignment

Inquiry Tool – Alignment Station and Off-

set and Point

Grading | 19

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Object PropertiesLine/Curve/Spiral

Parcels

Roadway Curves
Railway Curves
Spiral Radius

Distance

Alignment Layout Toolbar: Sub-Entity Ed­itor, Alignment Grid View

Inquiry Command – Angle InformationAngles

Inquiry Command – Continuous Distance
Inquiry Command – Add Distance

Inquiry Command – AreaArea by Lines/Curves, Polylines, or Points

Inquiry Tool – SurfaceContour/Surface Elevation

Inquiry Tool – List SlopeList Slope/Elevation at Slope

Coordinate TrackerTrack North/East, Track Elevation

The following table compares the differences in terminology between parcel
features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Parcel Settings

Parcel Manager

Parcel Layout Toolbar
Parcel Styles
Parcel Label Styles

List View on the Toolspace Prospector tab
Parcel Properties

Create From ObjectsDefine from Lines/Curves (or Polylines)

20 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Pipes

Define from

■ Points

■ Slide Bearing

■ Radial

■ Swing Line

■ Swing On Curve

Parcel Layout Toolbar

Transparent Commands

The following table compares the differences in terminology between pipe
features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Settings

Pipe Command Settings

Parts List

Pipe NetworkPipe Run

PipePipe

Edit Data

StructureNode

List View in Toolspace (Panorama) ViewPipe Run Editor

Grip editEdit Graphical

Pipe Editor

Structure Editor

Create Pipe NetworkFinish Draft Plan

Draw Parts in Profile ViewFinish Draft Profile

Pipes | 21

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Finish Draft Section

Import/Export Runs

Plan Production

The following table compares the differences in terminology between plan
production features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Sample Pipe Network (Sample Line
Group)

Import LandXML
Export LandXML

Create Interference CheckAlign/Run Interferences

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Plan ProductionSheet Creation

Plan Production ToolsSheet Manager

General menu ➤ Plan Production Tools

➤ Create View Frames wizard

General menu ➤ Plan Production Tools

➤ Create Sheets wizard

View Frame GroupSheet Series

View FrameFrame

Create View Frames wizardCreate\Edit Frame

Match LineMatch Line

Create Sheets (Create Sheets wizard)Generate Sheets

22 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Points

The following table compares the differences in terminology between point
features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Profiles

Point Settings

Point Group Manager

XDRef Manager

Create Points (all commands)

List Points

Toolspace Settings tab, Point Command

Settings

Toolspace Prospector tab, Point Groups

collection

Toolspace Settings tab ➤ Point ➤ Ex-

ternal Data References

Points menu ➤ Create Points

List View on the Toolspace Prospector tab

Panorama Point Editor

The following table compares the differences in terminology between profile
features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Profile ViewProfile (grid only)

Toggle Multiple Surfaces
Select Multiple Surfaces

ProfileVertical Alignment, Existing Grade

Profile Command SettingsProfile Settings

Create From Surface dialog boxSet Current Surface

Points | 23

Surface

File

■ Full

■ Surface

■ Grid

■ Quick Profile

Alignments

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Create From Surface dialog boxSample Existing Ground – Sample from

Create From Surface dialog boxSample Existing Ground – Sample from

Create From SurfaceCreate Profile

Create ViewCreate Profile

Quick ProfileCreate Profile

Create By Layout (Profile Layout Toolbar)Define Vertical, Ditch, And Transition

Edit Vertical, Ditch, And Transition Align­ments

Edit Profile Geometry (Profile Layout
Toolbar)

Survey

The following table compares the differences in terminology between survey
features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Survey tab in ToolspaceData Collection Input

Survey tab in ToolspaceAnalysis Figures

24 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Survey Database SettingsLeast Square Settings

Survey Command WindowSurvey Command Line

Equipment Settings

Figure Prefix Library

Terrain (Surfaces)

The following table compares the differences in terminology between terrain
(or surfaces) features in Land Desktop and Civil 3D:

Terrain Model Explorer

Equipment Databases and Equipment

Properties

Figure Prefix Databases and Figure Prefix

Properties

Astronomic Direction CalculatorAstronomic Azimuth

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Surfaces menuTerrain menu

Toolspace Prospector tab, Surfaces collec-

tion

Surface Definition – EditsEdit Surface

Contour Labels

Composite Volumes

Surface StyleSurface Display

Surface Style – ContoursContour Style Manager

Surfaces menu ➤ Add Surface Labels

Composite Volumes Panorama utility

Volume Surface, TIN Volume Surface

Terrain (Surfaces) | 25

Utilities

The following table compares the differences in terminology between features
related to various utilities in Land Desktop and the corresponding features in
Civil 3D:

Civil 3DLand Desktop

Object Viewer

Notes

Symbol Manager

Multi-View Blocks

Blocks

Camera

General menu ➤ Utilities ➤ Object
Viewer

General menu ➤ Utilities ➤ Notes

Toolspace Settings tab ➤ Points ➤
Point Styles

General Curve Label StyleCurve Text

Included in all object label stylesLeaders

Insert menu ➤ Multi-View Blocks

Insert menu ➤ Blocks

Object Table StylesLists/Legends

View menu ➤ Create Camera

Comparing User Interfaces

This section compares the Land Desktop and Civil 3D user interfaces. It
provides an overview of some general differences in the user interfaces, and
includes a discussion about differences in workspaces and menus.

26 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

User Interfaces

Many aspects of the Land Desktop and Civil 3D user interfaces are identical.
Since both products are based on industry-leading AutoCAD software, Civil
3D still provides you with the familiar graphical work environment and
drafting tools you already know. For example, in Civil 3D, you’ll notice
components like the top-level menu bar, toolbars, command line, drawing
area, and model and layout tabs you already know how to use.

One of the most noticeable differences between the two interfaces is the Civil
3D Toolspace window—a component that Land Desktop does not have.

The Toolspace window is a concept that is totally new to Land Desktop users.
Using the three Toolspace window tabs, the Prospector, Settings, and Survey
tabs, you can control drawing objects and settings in ways that are not possible
with Land Desktop.

For example, using the Toolspace Prospector tab, you can quickly display a
hierarchical list of all objects in your drawing. Items that exist as child objects
to a parent object, such as pipe and structure objects associated with a pipe
network (pipe run), can easily be displayed in the Toolspace Prospector tab.

User Interfaces | 27

The Settings tab provides a powerful set of features for creating and managing
object styles, as well as for controlling default object behavior.

Becoming familiar with how to use the Civil 3D Toolspace window is an
important step to Civil 3D proficiency. Once you understand how it works,
it’s very easy to use, and you will find many ways to increase your productivity.
To learn more about how to use the Civil 3D Toolspace, see The Toolspace
Window in the Civil 3D Help.

Workspaces and Menus

Just like Land Desktop, Civil 3D comes equipped with a variety of workspaces
that offer sets of tools commonly used for certain types of tasks. For example,
in Land Desktop you can select the Survey workspace which provides access
to tools and features commonly used while performing surveying tasks.

With both products you can create your own custom workspaces so that you
can have quick access to a specific set of features you may want. In addition
to displaying a top-level menu that contains only the features related to a
specific task, the workspaces also automatically display toolbars, tool palettes,

28 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

and other user interface elements to make sure that all the features you need
for a specific task are at your fingertips.

The following table lists the menus that are displayed in the top-level menu
bar for the Land Desktop 2008 workspaces:

Land Desktop MenusLand Desktop Workspaces

Land Desktop

Land Desktop Complete

Civil Design

Survey

File, Edit, View, Tools, Map, Projects,
Points, Lines/Curves, Alignments, Parcels,
Labels, Terrain, Inquiry, Utilities, Window,
Help.

File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Draw,
Dimension, Modify, Map, Projects, Points,
Lines/Curves, Alignments, Parcels, Labels,
Terrain, Inquiry, Utilities, Window, Help.

File, Edit, View, Tools, Map, Projects,
Points, Terrain, Grading, Layout, Profiles,
Cross Sections, Hydrology, Pipes, Sheet
Manager, Inquiry, Utilities, Window, Help.

File, Edit, View, Tools, Map, Projects,
Points, Terrain, Data Collection/Input,
Analysis/Figures, Inquiry, Utilities, Window,
Help.

The following table lists the menus that are displayed in the top-level menu
bar for the Civil 3D 2008 workspaces:

Civil 3D MenusCivil 3D Workspaces

Civil 3D Complete

Design

File, Edit, View, Insert, General,
Lines/Curves, Points, Surfaces, Parcels,
Grading, Alignments, Profiles, Corridors,
Sections, Pipes, Survey, Map, Express,
Window, Help.

File, Edit, View, Insert, General,
Lines/Curves, Points, Surfaces, Parcels,
Grading, Alignments, Sections, Profiles,

Workspaces and Menus | 29

Civil 3D MenusCivil 3D Workspaces

Corridors, Pipes, Inquiry, Express, Window,
Help.

Annotation and Drafting

Survey and Topographical

Visualization and Rendering

To become more familiar with workspaces, including how to access them, edit
them, and create your own custom workspaces, refer to Create Task-Based
Workspaces in the AutoCAD Help.

Civil 3D Lines/Curves Menu

In Civil 3D 2008, there is a new menu, the Lines/Curves menu, which is
modeled after the functionality that is available on the Land Desktop
Lines/Curves menu, with the addition of a few new features.

File, Edit, View, Insert, General, Annotation,
Inquiry, Map, Express, Window, Help.

File, Edit, View, Insert, General,
Lines/Curves, Points, Surfaces, Parcels,
Alignments, Survey, Inquiry, Map, Express,
Window, Help.

File, Edit, View, Insert, General, Express,
Window, Help.

30 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

For example, on the Civil 3D Lines/Curves menu, you have the Curve
Calculator, which is a tool you use to determine curve parameters based on
input. It lets you calculate horizontal curve data and simultaneously interact
with active Civil 3D COGO commands as well as AutoCAD commands.

With this functionality, you can calculate horizontal curve properties based
on arc or chord definitions. You can select an ARC object from the drawing
and display its curve properties in the Curve Calculator. Also, you can calculate
properties and send a curve property to the command line interface within a
current command, or send the properties to the Windows Clipboard to
cut-and-paste into another application.

Civil 3D Lines/Curves Menu | 31

Comparing Features

This section explores some of the more commonly used features that exist in
both Land Desktop and Civil 3D. It discusses the differences in methodologies
and workflows inherent in these features in both products. Understanding
the mechanics of how the features are different (for example, understanding
what the Civil 3D software is doing behind the scenes, what the menus and
dialog boxes look like, and what a typical Civil 3D workflow is like) will greatly
reduce the learning curve.

In this section, we’ll compare how the following features work in Land Desktop
and in Civil 3D: points, surfaces, alignments and profiles. An important item
to note as you read through this section is that many of the Civil 3D concepts
and behaviors you’ll learn about exist in many areas of the product. This
section also illustrates how Civil 3D is much more consistent than Land
Desktop in the way that it allows you to manage features.

Points

Experienced Land Desktop users will be happy to know that Civil 3D combines
several of the point functionality concepts from Land Desktop into an
easy-to-use Civil 3D point object. This section begins with a brief description
of how points work in Land Desktop.

Points in Land Desktop

The Land Desktop point concepts you are already familiar with include point
settings, point object, point symbology, point groups, and point labeling. The
following table provides a brief description of how each of these concepts is
implemented in Land Desktop:

DescriptionLand Desktop Point Functionality

Point Settings

32 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

When creating points in Land Desktop, first
you need to adjust Point Settings to
achieve desired output. These settings
control things like the starting Point Num­ber, whether elevations are required, if
descriptions are visible, where to find
symbology, text size, and so on. All points

DescriptionLand Desktop Point Functionality

created after these Point Settings are estab­lished adopt the current Point Settings and
are displayed accordingly. Points created
before the Point Settings are either estab­lished or changed would remain as they
are.

Point Object

Point Symbology

Point Labeling

Each point in Land Desktop is an individual
object and is part of an external points
database file (*.mdb).

For a point to represent something like a
fire hydrant, description keys can be used
to automatically insert a symbol (block) at
the point’s insertion point.

Point labels, usually combined with Point
Groups, let you quickly show point descrip­tions on some points and not others, label
data, such as northing and easting, and
control settings, such as units, text height,
and layers used.

Even though point functionality in Land Desktop accomplishes the work you
need to do, and you are comfortable with it, it still has some limitations. For
example:

■ Have you ever moved some points only to realize that your symbols did

not move with them?

■ Have you ever wished you could use the Undo command after accidentally

moving or erasing some points?

■ Have you ever wished there was a “magic bullet” that would quickly change

point sizes so they could be used in a 50 scale drawing instead of a 100
scale drawing?

■ Have you ever wanted to create a Point Group by combining several other

Point Groups?

Points | 33

■ Have you ever found it difficult to maintain standards so that points labeled

by one individual on your team look the same as points labeled by someone
else?

Points in Civil 3D

When you are working with points in Civil 3D 2008, one of the first things
that is important to understand is that in Civil 3D, each point is maintained
as an individual object. Each point also always belongs to a point group, which
is also an object. This means that you can manage points at different
hierarchical levels. Being able to manage points this way improves overall
performance and provides additional flexibility that you do not have when
using points in Land Desktop.

A second concept that is important to understand is that unlike Land Desktop
points, the display characteristics of Civil 3D points are based on two style
settings: the point style and the point label style. This is a concept that is
employed throughout many Civil 3D object types.

The point marker (shown as the “X” in the preceding illustration) is controlled
by the point style and the label text for the point is controlled by the point
label style. Setting up proper styles is one of the keys to unlocking the potential
of Civil 3D. By simply setting the point style to the desired marker, which can
include symbology, and setting the point label style to the desired label style,
you can achieve virtually limitless combinations for displaying points.

Note that in Civil 3D, when you are using symbology as part of your point
style, the symbol is the marker. In other words, there is no separate block
inserted on top of the point. Instead, the symbol is embedded in the point
itself. Because points are dynamic in Civil 3D, so are the symbols. For example,
there is no need to maintain multiple fire hydrant blocks to accommodate
plotting drawings at multiple scales. Also, symbols never become separated

34 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

from their associated points as they may have in Land Desktop. Your point
styles can be set in such a way that you can still control visibility of the
symbology, and the points still do what they did in Land Desktop. For example,
you can still show symbols and no points, or show points and no symbols,
or show neither. It is simply easier to do this in Civil 3D.

Civil 3D contains numerous styles you can begin working with right away,
including ones that look like Land Desktop styles. These styles can be assigned
to the points directly by selecting the point(s), and then right-clicking and
clicking Edit Points. Doing it this way is like switching from a BYLAYER setting
to a fixed setting.

You can also set these styles at the point group level, which means that all
points in that group are updated automatically. To do this, simply click on
the desired Point Group in the Project Toolspace (Prospector Tab), right-click,
and click Properties.

Because you can associate a symbol with your points using the point style,
does this mean that description keys are not necessary in Civil 3D? This is
your decision. Description keys still exist and still function in Civil 3D similarly
to how they function in Land Desktop. The major difference is that instead
of inserting blocks, as you would in Land Desktop, in Civil 3D, they set the
desired point style and point label style for each point. With Civil 3D, you

Points | 35

can decide which method of handling point styles and symbology works best
for your situation.

A third concept to understand when comparing Civil 3D and Land Desktop
point functionality is the fact that Civil 3D project data is drawing based rather
than project based as in Land Desktop. Because Civil 3D data is drawing based,
the points exist in your drawing file and do not point to an external point
database, as they do in Land Desktop. This means that your points cannot
become out of sync with an external point database, so operations such as
the Undo command are no longer a problem. Without an external point
database, commands like Check Points and Insert Points To Drawing are no
longer necessary, as well.

Creating Points

The way that you create points in Civil 3D is very similar to how you created
points in Land Desktop. For example, you can use the CREATEPOINTS
command or the individual commands from the Points menu. When you
click Create Points on the Points menu, the Create Points toolbar is displayed.

36 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Under each button on the toolbar are various drop-down menu options for
creating points. These options should look familiar to Land Desktop users
because most of the methods are the same as in Land Desktop. Even the Import
Points dialog box in Civil 3D, which is shown in the following illustration,
should look familiar.

So while some aspects of using points are very different in Civil 3D, much of
your Land Desktop knowledge is still directly transferable when you start using
Civil 3D.

Points | 37

Editing Points

Editing points in Civil 3D is also not that different from how you did it in
Land Desktop. For example, the following illustration shows the similarities
between the editing points menus (functionality) in Civil 3D and Land
Desktop.

The following illustration shows the Land Desktop Edit Points drop-down
menu:

This illustration shows the Civil 3D Edit Points drop-down menu:

38 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Even though the Civil 3D menu has fewer options than the Land Desktop
menu, this is a situation where less is more. In the Land Desktop menu, many
of the Edit options are necessary because of the external point database in
Land Desktop. These special Point Edit commands are completely unnecessary
in Civil 3D. In other words, rather than having a special Rotate Points or Erase
Points command, in Civil 3D you can use standard AutoCAD commands to
do many of your edits.

Point Groups

As soon as you create your first point in Civil 3D, an “_All Points” group is
automatically created. All points in your drawing are contained in the All
Points group. As in Land Desktop, you can create as many additional groups
as you need.

While you are examining Civil 3D, note the Point Groups tab at the top of
the Point Group Properties dialog box. This tab lets you create a point group
using other point groups. For example, if you have a “Road CL Group”, a
“Road EOP Group”, and a “Road Curb Group”, you can create a new “Roadway
Group” using the other Road Groups. Perhaps you have a “Wednesday Group”
a “Thursday Group” and a “Friday Group” that contain points to be staked
on each day. You could create an overall “Stake Out Group” containing the
other three groups without having to spend more time trying to filter out
points from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Points | 39

Summary

Now that you’ve explored the differences between points in Land Desktop
and Civil 3D, let’s review how Civil 3D can provide you with a better solution
for working with points.

Civil 3D SolutionLand Desktop Limitation

Have you ever moved some points only to
realize your symbols didn’t move with
them?

Have you ever wished you could use the
Undo command after accidentally moving
or erasing some points?

Have you ever wished there was a fast way
to change your point sizes so they could
be used in a 50 scale drawing rather than
a 100 scale drawing?

Have you ever wanted to create a point
group by combining several other point
groups?

Have you ever found it difficult to maintain
your organization’s CAD standards so that
points labeled by one person look the same
as points labeled by another person?

In Civil 3D, the symbol is part of the point
itself.

Civil 3D does not rely on an external point
database, so you can use the Undo com­mand during point operations.

Because Civil 3D points are dynamic, they
will automatically adjust their size by
simply changing the drawing scale.

Civil 3D point groups can be created from
other point groups.

Civil 3D uses templates with built-in styles
to guarantee standards compliance.

Surfaces

When you work with surfaces in Civil 3D, you will notice many differences
from Land Desktop right away. What is important to understand is that all
of the same functionality you had with surfaces in Land Desktop still exists
in Civil 3D. The functionality is just simplified, and in some cases, uses a
different methodology to accomplish the same result. The following section
provides a brief description of how surfaces work in Land Desktop.

40 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Surfaces in Land Desktop

The Land Desktop concepts and tools that are built into the Civil 3D surface
object include the Terrain Model Explorer, Surface Editing, Contour Creation,
and the Contour Object. The following table briefly summarizes how these
features work in Land Desktop:

ality

Terrain Model Explorer

Surface Editing

Contour Creation

Contour Object

DescriptionLand Desktop Surface Function-

You create surfaces in Land Desktop using the
Terrain Model Explorer where you can select
data from sources such as point groups or
boundaries to build a surface. Once built, the
surface is written to an external file, which is
actually a folder of data under the Land Desktop
Project/DTM folder. Having the surface connec­ted to this external file presents several of the
same issues you might have with points.

If you want to edit your newly created surface,
you must first import 3D lines. This is true be­cause the surface exists in an external file and
not in the drawing. After importing the 3D lines,
there are numerous options available for per­forming edits.

After you finish editing a surface, you must cre­ate contours using yet another tool.

Each contour is a separate object with no asso­ciation back to the original surface. Editing the
surface means you must recreate contours.

Building surfaces in Land Desktop involves many steps, and the process is not
very intuitive. Although the process lets you accomplish the work you need
to do, it does have several limitations. For example:

■ Have you ever created a surface and wished there was some immediate

visual feedback to show what you created?

Surfaces | 41

■ Have you ever edited a surface and wished your contours would update

automatically?

■ Have you ever wished you could use the standard Undo command to fix

a mistake you made to your surface?

■ Have you ever had to extensively edit a surface created from contours to

correct areas not interpolated correctly?

■ Have you ever wished your contour labels could faithfully be used for

multiple scale drawings?

Surfaces in Civil 3D

In Civil 3D, you can create surfaces on the Prospector Tab in the Toolspace
window by right-clicking on the Surfaces collection and clicking Create Surface.
Or you can also select the same command from the Surfaces drop-down menu.
A dialog box prompts you to assign the surface a name and a style. If you
don’t assign the surface a name, it is given a default name which is typically
Surface[1]. This default object naming is just one of the useful conventions
used in many Civil 3D features.

42 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

After supplying a name for the surface and clicking OK, the new surface object
is displayed in the Prospector tree. Similar to the Land Desktop Terrain Model
Explorer, you can expand the + symbol next to the newly created surface to
view the items beneath it and assign the data you want to use to build the
surface. You’ll notice that the list of available data types contains primarily
the same types that are available in Land Desktop.

By right-clicking on a data type (such as Contours, for example) and adding
the necessary data, the surface is automatically built and displayed in model
space according to the style settings.

Surfaces | 43

The process of building a surface from contour data in Civil 3D produces far
superior results than what can be created with Land Desktop. For example,
in Civil 3D, if you display contours on a newly created surface that was created
from contour data, the contours will match the original. This is a significant
improvement over the surface capabilities in Land Desktop.

Another aspect of Civil 3D surfaces that is important to understand is the
surface style. In Civil 3D, the surface is the object, and the contours are subsets
of that object. This is another area where the capabilities of Civil 3D far exceed
Land Desktop. Because the contours are a subset of the surface, by simply
changing the surface style you can present the surface in a wide variety of
ways. For example, you can show contours at different intervals, with slope
arrows, elevation banding, and more. Showing contours at 1’ and 5’ intervals
after they were originally displayed at 2’ and 10’ intervals is as simple as a few
clicks. The same is true for displaying components like elevation banding.
Performing a similar task in Land Desktop would take many minutes as
opposed to just a few seconds in Civil 3D. To display a particular subset of the
surface, you need only turn it on in the Display tab for the surface style. To
configure a specific subset like contours, simply click on the appropriate tab
and set the values as desired.

44 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Civil 3D includes drawing templates that contain numerous predefined surface
styles you can choose from or use as a starting point for creating your own.

Surface Editing

To edit a surface, you can set up the surface style to display both triangles and
points. You might even want to consider creating a style specifically for editing.

In Civil 3D, all Surface Edit functions are conveniently located either from
the Surface collection in the Prospector tree, or from the Surfaces drop-down
menu in the top-level menu bar. These options should look familiar to Land
Desktop users. If you compare the Land Desktop Edit Surface drop-down menu
to the Edit Surface menu in Civil 3D—with the exception of Flip Face being
renamed to Swap Edge—you’ll notice that they are virtually identical.

The following illustration shows the Land Desktop Edit Surfaces drop-down
menu:

Surfaces | 45

The following illustration shows the Civil 3D Edit Surfaces drop-down menu:

46 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Because a Civil 3D surface is not connected to an external data file, many
steps that were required in Land Desktop become unnecessary, such as using
commands like Import 3D Lines, Create Contours, Build Surface, and Quick
View. Also, other commands become a lot simpler to use—for example, Undo,
Redo, Move, and Rotate. Have you ever wished that you could simply Undo
an errant surface edit? With Civil 3D, you can.

Because the surface object is the only representation of the surface data, you
no longer have to worry about whether the surface displayed in your drawing
actually matches the surface in your data file. For example, with Land Desktop,
you sometimes had to worry that someone might modify the contours
displayed on the screen, and as a result, the surface might not match the
surface file currently being staked in the field. By maintaining a single surface
object, the process of creating and editing a surface is simpler, and the chances
of errors are reduced.

Like Civil 3D points, surfaces can also be dynamic. By simply modifying the
underlying data used to create the surface, the surface is updated automatically.
For example, in Civil 3D, if you move a point or grip edit a boundary, the

Surfaces | 47

surface is updated. Unlike the static methodology used in Land Desktop, using
the dynamic model-based design in Civil 3D, you can automatically roll
forward any changes made to your data.

Labeling Contours

Labeling contours in Civil 3D is similar to labeling contours in Land Desktop.
Actually, the process is similar but the end result is different. Basically you
drape a Contour Label Line across multiple contours. This is the same as using
Label Group Interior in Land Desktop. Everywhere a contour intersects the
Contour Label Line, a contour label appears. The contour labels themselves
remain on the Contour Label Line and not on the contour itself. If you drag
the label line to different locations, the labels move with it. If you alter contour
intervals, for example, and if the new contours intersect the label line, they
are automatically labeled. This new contour behavior in Civil 3D may take
some practice to get used to, but the time savings of being able to make minor
to extensive changes to your surface without having to constantly re-label the
contours is substantial. You access the contour labeling features by selecting
Surfaces menu ➤ Add Labels, and then clicking Contour-Single,
Contour-Multiple, or Contour-Multiple At Interval.

After selecting a contour labeling command, you are prompted to pick two
points in model space. The line defined by these points becomes your Contour
Label Line. Like everything else in Civil 3D, contour labels are controlled by
styles. By modifying these styles, you can adjust the label look-and-feel to
match your particular organization’s requirements.

Calculating Earthwork

In Land Desktop, the process of calculating earthwork is complicated to say
the least. For example, as a minimum it can involve creating a stratum, defining
a site, having to understand the difference between grid, section, and
composite, and so on. Furthermore, many designers find that they do not
perform earthwork functions very frequently, which can make the task even
more difficult. Fortunately, Civil 3D makes the process of calculating earthwork
simple.

All you need are two surfaces and you can begin the process of calculating
earthwork by clicking Surfaces menu ➤ Utilities ➤ Volumes.

48 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

The Panorama is displayed. You first create a new volume entry in the list by
clicking the Create New Volume Entry icon (upper left corner of the Panorama
window). Then click in the cell under Base Surface and select the starting
surface, select a surface in the cell under Comparison Surface, and select your
finishing surface. In a few seconds, Civil 3D performs a composite calculation
between the two surfaces and displays the result.

You can still perform an earthwork calculation using multiple methods, as in
Land Desktop. The two possible methods are Grid and Composite. You can
perform these types of calculations just as easily in Civil 3D as in Land Desktop.
It is no more difficult than creating a new Volume surface(s). These types of
surfaces (Grid Volume Surface and TIN Volume Surface) are created using the
same tool as a regular surface. Rather than specifying components like Point
Group and Contour Data as data types to build the surface, you need only
select two surfaces to compare.

Surfaces | 49

As a result of performing a calculation this way, you have the added benefit
of creating a surface that can be used to display cut and fill contours or
elevation banding to validate earthwork numbers.

The following illustration shows an example of a surface style being used to
display earthwork cut and fill data by using elevation banding. Colors can be
used to indicate cut and fill areas. For example, a color such as dark red could
be used to indicate deepest cut, and dark blue could be used to indicate highest
fill. Civil 3D can also automatically prepare and insert a legend to define the
coloring.

50 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Summary

Although working with surfaces in Civil 3D is very different from working
with surfaces in Land Desktop, there are many benefits. From creation to
completion, working with surfaces in Civil 3D is more intuitive, requires fewer
steps, and helps eliminate the possibility of error. The following table provides

Surfaces | 51

a quick review of how Civil 3D solves many of the issues you may have had
when working with surfaces in Land Desktop:

Civil 3D SolutionLand Desktop Limitation

Have you ever created a surface and
wished there was some immediate visual
feedback to show what you created?

Have you ever edited a surface and wished
your contours would update automatically?

Have you ever wished you could use the
standard Undo command to fix a mistake
you made to your surface?

Have you ever had to extensively edit a
surface created from contours to “fix” areas
not interpolated correctly? results, thereby reducing the need for ex-

Have you ever wished your contour labels
could faithfully be used for multiple scale
drawings? automatically adjust label height and ori-

Civil 3D, uses surface styles to display your
surface from the minute you add your first
piece of data to it.

In Civil 3D, the contours are a subset of
the main surface object. Editing the surface
automatically updates your contours.

Because Civil 3D surfaces are not connec­ted to an external data file, using com­mands like Undo is not a problem.

Creating surfaces from contour data in Civil
3D produces significantly more accurate

tensive manual editing.

Civil 3D surfaces and labels are dynamic.
Changes to drawing scale and rotation will

entation. (Even when using them as xrefs.)

Alignments and Profiles

When you work with alignments and profiles in Civil 3D, you’ll notice many
differences from Land Desktop. Just as with other features, accomplishing
alignment and profile tasks in Civil 3D is easier and more powerful than in
Land Desktop. The following section provides a brief description of how you
worked with alignments and profiles in Land Desktop.

52 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Alignments and Profiles in Land Desktop

As with other Land Desktop features, working with alignments and profiles
in Land Desktop involves working with, and having to maintain, data in
external files or databases.

DescriptionLand Desktop Functionality

Alignment Creation

Station Label Settings

Station Label Creation

Profile Settings

Create alignments from objects or polylines by select­ing the desired entity, selecting a reference point,
and then giving the new alignment a name and sta­tion information. If you are creating from a polyline,
you had to guess if it was originally drawn in the
direction you need. Once defined, the alignment is
created in an external alignment database.

At some point you must establish station label set-

tings by clicking Alignments menu ➤ Station Label
Settings. Make choices in the Alignments Station
Label Settings dialog box.

Once station label settings are established, create

the labels by clicking Alignments menu ➤ Create
Station Labels. A prompt asks if you want to delete
the old station labels and replace them with the new
ones. (Many users have noted that at this point in
the workflow, it’s a little too easy to inadvertently
delete all the station labels for all your alignments.)

Before creating a profile, verify that the profile set­tings are as desired. These settings control compon­ents like sampling, layers, and labels.

Profile Creation

First set the desired surface and alignment as current,
then you can create a Profile from a Surface, from a
File, or from Sections. A command line message in­dicates when the profile is created. The profile data
is maintained in an external data file. To view the

profile, select Profile menu ➤ Create Profile. After
making choices in the Profile Generator dialog box

Alignments and Profiles | 53

DescriptionLand Desktop Functionality

and picking a point in the drawing, the profile is
displayed. Moving it, however, can cause problems.

Vertical Alignment Editing

If you would like to add a proposed (finished ground)
profile, you have two options. You can generate the
proposed profile graphically (using several tools) or
you can use the Vertical Alignment Editor. Both op­tions are available on the Profile menu. If you want
to add the proposed profile, complete with labels,
to the existing profile, use the Import utility.

Most Land Desktop users are comfortable working with the alignment and
profile functionality because it is a process they already know. It does however,
have some limitations. For example:

■ Have you ever had to reverse the direction of an alignment?

■ Have you ever wished you could rename an alignment?

■ Have you ever edited alignment geometry and then realized that you now

have to recreate the profile?

■ Have you ever had to rework a drawing because someone moved your

profile?

■ Have you ever wished you could create more than one finished grade

profile for an alignment?

Alignments and Profiles in Civil 3D

In Civil 3D, one of the most significant differences in working with alignments
and profiles is that the alignment and profile data exists in the drawing file,
not in an external database or file. There are several other significant differences
too, such as the fact that Civil 3D alignments and profiles are dynamic objects.

Just as in Land Desktop, in Civil 3D you can create alignments in a few
different ways. From the Alignments menu, you can choose to Create From
Polyline, Create From Pipe Network, or Create By Layout. There is no “Define
From Objects” option on the drop-down menu, but you can create alignments
in a variety of shapes, using precision tools to perfect your geometry, by using
the Alignment Layout tools toolbar.

54 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

The process of creating an alignment from a polyline is nearly identical to
that same option in Land Desktop. Once the polyline is created, you select it
and then use the Alignments menu to convert it into an alignment (Alignments
menu ➤ Create From Polyline).

The Create From Pipe Network option is very similar to the Create From
Polyline command. Use it to quickly create an alignment from an existing
pipe network (pipe run) in your drawing.

Creating an alignment using the Layout tools is a new concept for Land
Desktop users. To access the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar, choose
Alignments menu ➤ Create By Layout, or enter CreateAlignmentLayout on
the command line. When you do one of these, the Alignment Layout Tools
toolbar is displayed.

Basically, you use this toolbar to construct alignments with specific engineering
rules or constraints built in. It provides you with a variety of options for
creating your alignment.

The advantage of creating your alignment using the Alignment Layout tools
is that you can incorporate design criteria directly into your alignment. For
example, you can create an alignment that requires that an arc must pass
through a particular point. Using this toolbar, you can create complex
geometry that would be challenging and time-consuming to construct in Land
Desktop.

No matter which alignment creation method you use, you are eventually
prompted to enter some basic alignment object creation information, such
as a site, name, description, style, layer, label set, and so on.

Alignments and Profiles | 55

Another important concept to understand is that after it is created, the
alignment itself is an object. As such, by default it contains station labels.
Therefore, you no longer have to add them. Because in Civil 3D an alignment
object is not connected to an external database, you can edit your alignment
as often as necessary without having to go through any re-creation process.
Have you ever needed to change the length of an alignment part of the way
through a project? How about having to rename one? In Civil 3D, tasks like
this are no longer an issue. Also, you should note that there is a handy “Reverse
Alignment Direction” option on the Alignments menu.

56 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Profiles

You’ll find that the way you work with profiles in Civil 3D is dramatically
different from the way you worked with profiles in Land Desktop. In Civil
3D, a profile is simply a vertical representation of data from an alignment
(and a surface). In other words, a profile is more or less a linear object. In Civil
3D, the profile itself does not contain the grid lines, stationing information,
and elevations, as profiles do in Land Desktop. Instead, the grid lines,
stationing, and elevation data for a profile are stored in a separate, new object
type called a profile view. The profile view is simply a container to display
profiles. It maintains the data associated with the actual linear profile (the
profile object) item, such as the length, start and end points, and station and
elevation data of the alignment it represents. It also creates and controls the
actual grid in which you display the profile data, along with information such
as the bands of data you want to display along the X-axis above or below the
grid.

At first glance, this may seem complex, but this methodology actually makes
working with profiles easier. For example, using Land Desktop, have you ever
wanted to have more than one proposed profile for a single alignment—so
that you could show several options for a proposed road design? Land Desktop
only allows you one. Below is an example of this concept. It shows the Civil
3D Prospector tree with an alignment called Fescue Drive that contains four
profiles (one existing and three proposed).

Below those profile entries are any profile views for Fescue Drive. In this case,
there is only one. If you want to compare your Existing Ground to Alternate
One, you can create a Profile View to display them together on the same grid.
If you would like to compare the Existing Ground to Alternate Two, you can
create a second Profile View to display those as well. There are really many
ways you could display this data.

Alignments and Profiles | 57

Creating Profiles and Profile Views

Now that you have an understanding of profiles and profile views, let’s explore
how you create them in Civil 3D. This section explores creating an existing
and a proposed profile, and begins by using the Profiles menu.

For the most part, existing profiles are created using the Create Profile From
Surface command, and proposed profiles are created from the Create Profile
By Layout command.

After selecting Create Profile From Surface, the following dialog box is
displayed:

58 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

After selecting the desired alignment and surface, click the Add>> button to
create your new Existing Ground Profile in the Profile List. If you look closely
at the dialog box, you will see options for controlling which portion of the
alignment is sampled, as well as the ability to sample offsets. This is not very
different from Land Desktop.

After adding your new profile to the list, you can present it in a profile view
by clicking Draw In Profile View at the bottom of the dialog box.

NOTE Throughout the process, having to select both the alignment and the
surface in the various dialog boxes reduces the possibility of error. It also means
you don’t have to worry about what is current and what is not as you do with
Land Desktop.

Remember that the profile view is simply a container that displays the profiles.
Conceptually, you only need to select your alignment and the desired profiles
you want to display. Civil 3D contains an easy-to-use wizard that guides you
through the process of creating a profile view.

As you step through the choices in the wizard dialog boxes, you’ll be able to
configure the following to determine the organization as well as the
presentation of your profile view:

Alignments and Profiles | 59

Profile View Name—To assist in keeping things organized, you must give this
profile view (object) a name. As with all Civil 3D objects, you can accept the
default name that is displayed automatically, if you wish (for example, Profile
View [1]).

Station Range—If your profile is very long and you only want to present a
small portion of it, you can specify a desired station range.

Profile View Height—If you want to provide some additional white space
(margin) at the top or bottom of your view, simply increase the View Height.

Profile View Style—The profile view style controls how the profile view looks.
In other words, it defines components such as grid spacing, vertical
exaggeration, titles, view direction, and so on.

Band Set—Selecting a band set adds preconfigured labeling to the top or
bottom of your profile view. When finished, you are asked to select a point
in Model space to display the new profile view. Just as in Land Desktop, you
are selecting where the lower left corner of the profile view will be placed.

Once these choices are defined, they can be easily changed using the Profile
View Properties dialog box. Just right-click on a profile view and click Properties
from the right-click menu.

After the insertion point is selected, the profile view is displayed. To move
the profile view, you can use the standard AutoCAD MOVE command to
relocate it. Using the Move command on a profile in Land Desktop was
problematic, but in Civil 3D it’s not a problem.

It’s now time to create your proposed profile. From the Profiles menu, select
Create Profile By Layout. You are then asked to select which Profile View you
will be using to create your new profile. After clicking on the desired Profile
View, the following dialog box is displayed:

60 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

NOTE When you are trying to select a Profile View in a drawing, you must make
certain that you click on a grid line rather than on a profile line. The grid lines are
part of the profile view object. The profile lines are profile objects. Even though
the two object types can be displayed together, it is important to understand that
the profile view and the profile are two separate and distinct object types.

Using this dialog box, you can give your proposed profile a name as well as
select styles to control how it is displayed and labeled. Accepting the defaults
will produce a proposed profile that looks very similar to a Land Desktop
profile.

After clicking OK, the following toolbar is displayed. Notice that the Profile
Layout Tools toolbar is very similar to the Alignment Layout Tools toolbar.
This is another example of the standardized user interface in Civil 3D.

In Land Desktop, you could create proposed profiles graphically, through an
editor or a combination of both depending on the information you have to
work with. The next section explores performing the same tasks using Civil
3D.

Alignments and Profiles | 61

Create a Proposed Profile from Scratch Using the

Editor

By clicking the button on the Profile Layout Tool toolbar, you open a
dialog box where you can create the profile by typing in PVI stations, elevations
and vertical curve information. If you look at the top of this dialog box, you’ll
notice that you can now create asymmetrical vertical curves.

Create a Proposed Profile from Scratch

Graphically

You use the Profile Layout Tools to create the geometry. You can not draw it
using AutoCAD and then convert it into a profile later as you could in Land
Desktop.

By clicking the button, you can select either Draw Tangents or Tangents
with Curves. On the drop-down menu, you can also select Curve Settings to
set the defaults. Once the command is initiated, you can simply draw the
Proposed Profile. As the profile is drawn, all of the necessary annotation is
created automatically.

62 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Create a Proposed Profile Graphically and Using

the Editor

After creating some or all of the Proposed Profile graphically, you can click

the Profile Grid View button to open the editor (Panorama window). In
the editor, you can create or refine the Proposed Profile geometry.

The column headings are similar to those in Land Desktop. This is another
example of where your Land Desktop experience is very relevant. Notice of
the “Grade In” Column. In Civil 3D, unlike Land Desktop, you can grade in
both directions.

Alignments and Profiles | 63

Summary

It’s easy to see that creating alignments and profiles in Civil 3D is more
powerful and requires fewer steps than in Land Desktop. Also, the use of
built-in style features in Civil 3D assists in maintaining standards throughout
your organization. Now that you have an understanding of how Civil 3D
handles alignments and profiles, let’s review how Civil 3D solves many of the
issues you may have had when working with these features in Land Desktop.

Civil 3D SolutionLand Desktop Limitation

Have you ever needed to reverse the direc­tion of an alignment?

Have you ever wished you could rename
an alignment?

Have you ever had to edit your alignment
geometry and as a result had to recreate
your profile? the corresponding profiles are automatic-

Have you ever experienced undesirable
results caused by someone moving your
profile? be moved using standard AutoCAD com-

Have you ever wanted to create more than
one finished grade profile for your align­ment?

You can now quickly and easily reverse the
direction of an alignment.

Renaming an alignment in Civil 3D is
simple and reliable. Right-click the align­ment in Prospector tree and click Proper­ties. Change the alignment name in the
Name field and click OK.

Because alignments and profiles are dynam­ic objects, when you edit an alignment,

ally updated as well.

Profile Views objects do not rely on connec­tions to external files. Therefore, they can

mands.

In Civil 3D, alignments can contain numer­ous profiles.

64 | Chapter 2 Comparing Land Desktop and Civil 3D

Setting Up Styles in Civil
3D

As you move from Land Desktop to Civil 3D, one of the first

tasks you’ll encounter is understanding styles. Using styles

provides you with enormous gains in productivity, precision,

consistency, and quality.

Styles control the appearance and sometimes the behavior of

Civil 3D objects. By using styles in Civil 3D, you have great

flexibility in the presentation of design elements, including

labels and tables.

3

In this chapter

■ Overview of Styles in Civil

3D

■ Styles Workflow

■ Styles Hierarchy and

Creation

■ Label Styles

■ Table Styles

■ Tips for Working with

Styles

This chapter provides an overview of styles, explains how

styles fit into the hierarchy of Civil 3D settings, and describes

how to get started creating customized styles in Civil 3D.

65

Overview of Styles in Civil 3D

In Civil 3D, styles control the display of all the visual elements of objects,
labels, and tables. Using the styles you create, all elements of the design object
are automatically set to a specific linetype, color, and layer reference.

To get the most from Civil 3D, organizations can create customized styles,
according to their standards, which, along with various other drawing settings,
can be saved in a drawing template file (.dwt) for easy reuse. Having a drawing
template with styles that meet your company standards is one of the most
important steps you can make to ensure that you have a successful transition
to Civil 3D. As mentioned earlier in this guide, you need to make sure to
devote appropriate resources to developing your styles for your organization.

In Civil 3D, there are various levels at which you can apply styles. For example,
you can assign styles at the object level (alignments, profiles, surfaces, pipe
networks, and so on), as well as at the object sub-component level (for example,
pipes and structures within a pipe network), and even specific styles for the
various components of pipes or structures. You can also create styles for object
labels and tables. Having the ability to automatically update objects and labels
by simply changing a style is a tremendous time saver over what you must
do in Land Desktop to update the appearance of an object.

You can create Civil 3D styles based on a company standard to represent all
the phases of a development project. For example, you may have a set of styles
that are applied to existing elements and another set of styles for proposed
elements.

66 | Chapter 3 Setting Up Styles in Civil 3D

Alignment style collection on the Settings
tab in Toolspace

Style Considerations

Creating hundreds of styles can seem like a daunting task, but it is important
to remember that you do not have to create all styles at once. Review the
default Civil 3D templates and choose one of these templates as a starting
place. By modifying the styles in an existing template, you can create a
template specific to the needs and standards of your company.

Style Considerations | 67

Template choices in Civil 3D

Civil 3D provides several drawing templates based on National CAD Standards.
These templates contain many pre-defined styles for typical use in the land
development industry. Use one of these templates as a starting point to become
familiar with styles.

DescriptionTemplate

NCS Base

NCS LDT

68 | Chapter 3 Setting Up Styles in Civil 3D

This template contains a basic style for
every element. It is designed for the CAD
manager who wants to build a style cata­log from scratch. This template should be
used only by experienced Civil 3D users
because there is little material in the tem­plate file to modify.

This template contains styles that reflect
the built-in appearance of the AutoCAD
Land Desktop profiles, sections, points, and
label styles. This template provides a famil­iar feel to the software, making it easier for
you to move to Civil 3D and get acceptable
results quickly and easily.

DescriptionTemplate

NCS Extended

This template contains multiple styles for
almost every Civil 3D object. The variety
of use cases in this template makes it a
good place to start. The less experienced
CAD manager can use it to explore how
styles and labels are built. It also provides
more experienced CAD managers a wide
variety of use cases.

Read the following section before you decide which approach to style creation
best fits your organization:

Who should create styles?

Before you start to develop a catalog of styles for your company you have to
decide what approach to take. The amount of time and money that you can
afford to invest in style development are important factors when considering
the following options:

■ Hire a consultant

If you have well-defined CAD standards in place, you can hire a consultant
to create your style catalog. With minimal guidance and using existing
work, he or she can create a template with styles that will closely match
your existing work. This approach will ease the burden on a CAD manager.

■ Do-it-yourself

If time allows, and your company wants to have an on-site styles specialist,
designate someone in your firm to build styles. This provides an
opportunity to develop a strong internal technical resource who will
develop competency in using Civil 3D while building styles.

■ Combined approach

This approach is ideal if you can hire a well-trained consultant to get you
started with style development by meeting with your team. He or she can
help you set up your basic styles and instruct you about style creation. You
can make progress on a project using basic styles and then create or modify
styles as needed while work on a project continues. After the initial style
development, a designated resource person can continue adding to your
style catalog.

ByLayer or Style

Style Considerations | 69

Another consideration is to determine whether you want the display of objects
and labels to be ByLayer or as defined in the style. On the Display tab of the
object style dialog box, you can either apply the style ByLayer or specify style
values for each object component type. There are pros and cons to each
approach.

CONSPROS

Style

ByLayer

Styles Workflow

■ Hard-coded display en­forces standards.

■ Fewer layers to manage
because many elements
are on one layer.

done through one dialog
box and is faster than us­ing the Layer Manager.

■ Familiar to AutoCAD users
and display is easily manip­ulated through layer con­trol.

■ Easier to share Civil 3D
content between AutoCAD
products.

■ Difficult to manage
downstream data.

■ Not intuitive to layer ori­ented users.

■ Requires a style for every
object component.■ Display of most styles is

■ Limitations in sharing
data with those not using
Civil 3D.

■ Requires layering and
AutoCAD Civil 3D stand­ards to ensure controls.

■ Object component dis­play is difficult to track
and change.

This section describes a basic workflow for creating and using styles.

To enforce CAD standards, styles should be managed through a drawing
template.

■ Create a drawing template (.dwt) that contains text styles, linetypes, layers,

and blocks that are standard for your organization. One way to get started
is to modify the styles in one of the .dwt files in Civil 3D.

70 | Chapter 3 Setting Up Styles in Civil 3D

■ In the drawing template, create styles for objects, labels, and tables. You

can start by copying the existing styles in the template and making
modifications to resemble your company standards.

■ Adjust the drawing and feature settings in the template so that the drawing

defaults to your customized styles.

■ Save the drawing template on a server or some other location that is

accessible to all users.

■ When you create new objects, apply the desired styles.

■ Override style settings as necessary for specific objects or labels for any

unique needs in a project.

■ Use the drag and drop capabilities to drag styles from one drawing into

another. You can drag styles between drawing collections on the Settings
tab, or into a drawing that is open in the drawing editor.

Styles Hierarchy and Creation

The Settings tab in Toolspace contains all the object style collections. The
templates in Civil 3D have pre-defined styles called Standard for each object.
Standard styles can be copied and modified to meet specific display
requirements. After you create an object style, you can assign the style when
you create an object. If necessary, you can change the specified object style
by modifying the object properties.

The default object styles can be controlled at the object level or the command
level.

To create a new style

1 On the Settings tab in Toolspace, expand an object collection.

2 Select the object styles collection. Right-click ➤ New.

3 In the Style dialog box, click the tabs and specify settings.

All styles have tabs for Information, Display, and Summary, and
depending on the object, there may also be tabs specific to that object.

Styles Hierarchy and Creation | 71

To set style defaults at the object level

1 On the Settings tab in Toolspace, select an object collection. Right-click

➤ Edit Feature Settings.

2 In the Edit Feature Settings dialog box, expand the Default Styles Property.

The default styles for the feature object are listed.

3 Click a cell in the Value column and click .

4 In the feature Style dialog box, choose from the following options:

■ Select a style from the drop-down list.

■ Click to pick a style from the drawing or click the drop-down

arrow for commands to create, copy, or edit.

■ Click to view the Style Detail dialog box. The Information tab

lists the name and creation information. The Preview tab displays a
preview of the style. To preview other feature styles, select the style
from the Style drop-down list.

To set style defaults at the command level

1 On the Settings tab in Toolspace, expand an object collection.

2 Expand the Commands collection, right-click a command ➤ Edit

Command Settings.

3 In the Edit Command Settings dialog box, expand the Default Styles

Property. The default styles for the command are listed. You have the
same options to create, copy, edit, or pick from drawing.

NOTE Assigning a new style default at the command level will override the
style that is assigned at the feature level. The Override check box is selected
when you assign a style at the command level.

72 | Chapter 3 Setting Up Styles in Civil 3D

Label Styles

Using label styles, you can easily annotate design elements. Like objects, if
you assign a new label style, labels are automatically updated to reflect the
applied style.

The basic process for creating and working with label styles is similar to object
styles, but because labels have more attributes, the specifics for label styles are
more detailed. Label styles are composed of general label properties, layout
parameters, and the dragged state display characteristics.

Like object styles, label styles are grouped in collections for each feature on
the Settings tab in Toolspace. Each object type has varying types of label styles.
For example, surface label styles include styles for contours and slope, while
alignment label styles include styles for stations and station offsets.

Label styles also have parent-child relationships. You can create a child style
that has the same properties of the parent style, but you can make changes
to these properties at the child level. Any property you don’t specifically
change will be controlled by the parent style.

The General collection in Toolspace contains the Multipurpose collection of
styles. These styles are not associated with a specific object. In the General
Label Styles collection there is a label style for Notes which can be used in
situations where you need to add a general purpose note that is not attached
to a specific object. You create the Note label styles in the same way as other
label styles. They also maintain dynamic text sizing based on the viewport
scale.

In the Label style collections for Alignments, Profiles, and Sections, you can
create a label sets. After you define the label style elements, you can group
the types together and create a label set to assign to an object.

The Label Style Composer

Use the Label Style Composer to create or edit the format and content for
label styles. The Label Style Composer has five tabs with the Information and
Summary tabs being similar to object styles. You use the General, Layout, and
Dragged States tabs to enter the specifics for the elements in a label. On the
Information tab, you specify a style name that reflects what the style will be,
for example SDS_Custom_line.

Label Styles | 73

The General Tab

This tab is where you specify the following visibility and orientation properties:

Label—Controls the text style, visibility, and layer for the label

Behavior—Defines the location and orientation of the label.

Plan Readability—Determines the text readability in relation to the page.

The Layout Tab

74 | Chapter 3 Setting Up Styles in Civil 3D

This tab is where you define the object components and their associated text
labels. You select a component name in the component list, such as Major
Station or Tick, and then specify whether the component is Text, Line, Block,
or Tick. The list of properties varies, depending on the selected component.
For more information about the properties of the Layout tab, see Managing
Layout Properties for Labels in the Civil 3D Help.

The Dragged State Tab

This tab controls the behavior of labels if they are dragged from the default
location. It has the following properties:

Leader—Controls the display of the leader.

Dragged State Components—Defines the text display, border elements, text

height, and leader attachment.

The Label Style Composer | 75

Table Styles

You use tables to present some types of Civil 3D data. The process of creating
table styles is similar to that of objects and labels. For more information on
table styles, see Table Styles in the Civil 3D Help.

Tips for Working with Styles

Use the following tips when you start working with styles:

■ There are potentially over 300 styles in Civil 3D. Don’t try to create every

style at once. Start with the basics for your pilot project and add new styles
as necessary.

■ While it is important for everyone using Civil 3D to be familiar with styles

and their application, in order to maintain consistency in company
standards, a best practice is to have one person control the creation and
maintenance of the styles template.

■ After you create a template that contains your styles, you can use the drag

and drop functionality to copy styles from the Settings tab into drawings.

76 | Chapter 3 Setting Up Styles in Civil 3D

■ You may want to create several .dwt files for the various aspects of a project,

for example Grading Plans or Finish Plans.

■ The defaults for the display of geometry label text in a drawing are set on

the Abbreviations tab in the Drawing Settings dialog box.

Tips for Working with Styles | 77

78

Tools for Moving Data

4

This chapter describes the variety of tools and methods that

are available for moving Land Desktop data into Civil 3D.

There are many reasons why you may need to move or share

data between Civil 3D and Land Desktop. Perhaps you want

to move data from a Land Desktop drawing into Civil 3D

drawing, or use Land Desktop for some tasks and Civil 3D for

others, and move the data back and forth. While the

recommended approach is to start with a new project in Civil

3D, you may have situations that require moving Land

Desktop data into Civil 3D.

In this chapter

■ Overview of Moving Land

Desktop Data into Civil 3D

■ Opening a Land Desktop

Drawing

■ Using the Import Data

From Land Desktop
Command

■ Converting Point Data

from Land Desktop

■ Importing Point Data from

Land Desktop

■ Using LandXML Export and

Import

■ Civil 3D Migration

Commands Summary

79

Overview of Moving Land Desktop Data into
Civil 3D

The following is a summary of the various ways that you can move Land
Desktop data into Civil 3D. Each of these is discussed in more detail in the
following sections.

■ Open a Land Desktop Drawing in Civil 3D—You can open a Land Desktop

drawing in Civil 3D to view Land Desktop objects in Civil 3D as proxies
or as objects.

■ Import Data From Land Desktop command—Use this Civil 3D command

to import surfaces, description keys, alignments, profiles, parcels, and pipe
runs.

■ Convert Land Desktop Points command—Use this Civil 3D command to

convert Land Desktop points to Civil 3D points.

■ Import a Land Desktop Point Data File—You can import an ASCII text file

or .mdb file of a Land Desktop points database into a Civil 3D drawing.

■ LandXML—Use the Civil 3D Import LandXML command to import

LandXML data that you previously exported from Land Desktop.

It is important to note that the process of sharing data between Land Desktop
and Civil 3D is not dynamic. In other words, changes that you make to the
data in one program will not be automatically transferred to the other program.

Another important aspect to note before you begin moving data is that to
avoid conflict and confusion when sharing data between Civil 3D and Land
Desktop, you should always verify that you are using the same coordinate and
unit system.

Opening a Land Desktop Drawing

When you open a Land Desktop drawing in Civil 3D, Civil 3D does not convert
the data. However, you can view Land Desktop objects in Civil 3D as proxies
or as objects, if the Civil object enabler is installed on the same machine.

When you open a Land Desktop drawing in Civil 3D, the following occurs:

■ Geometric data, such as contours, quick sections, grading objects, and

curve text, is not really imported but rather is shown in the drawing as

80 | Chapter 4 Tools for Moving Data

proxy objects. (If you have either the Land Desktop application or its object
enabler installed on the same machine as Civil 3D, then these objects are
displayed in Civil 3D as Land Desktop objects. However, you cannot edit
these objects. For more information, see the Civil Object Enabler Help.

■ Geometric data, such as alignments, profiles, sections, pipe runs, hydrology

graphs, sheets layouts, and plotted sheets in paper space, remain in the
drawing as AutoCAD primitives (lines, arcs, and text).

■ Land Desktop labels remain in the drawing as AutoCAD MText

components.

Each drawing is associated with various settings that are specific to Land
Desktop, which are stored in an external file named <drawing name>.dfm. This
data is not brought forward into Civil 3D.

Setup Object Conversion

Civil 3D reads the setup object as soon as the Land Desktop drawing is opened
in Civil 3D and translates certain aspects into the Civil 3D drawing settings
for the session.

NOTE If you close the drawing without saving it, then the original setup object
remains intact and you can open the drawing again in Land Desktop.

Some information in the Land Desktop setup object is translated into Civil
3D and some is not, as described in the following table:

Civil 3D Drawing SettingsLand Desktop Setup Object

Translated to drawing unitsLinear units

Translated to angle unitsAngle units

Not translatedAngle display style

Linear, Coordinate, Elevation, and Angular
precision

Translated to similar entries in the Ambient
Settings

Translated to scaleHorizontal scale

Setup Object Conversion | 81

Civil 3D Drawing SettingsLand Desktop Setup Object

Not translatedSheet size

Coordinate system (zone)

border

Translated to Zone settings in Units and
Zone Settings

Not translatedBase Point and North Rotation

Not translatedMiscellaneous information (for example,

Using the Import Data From Land Desktop
Command

If you need to import surfaces, description keys, alignments, profiles, parcels,
or pipe runs from a Land Desktop project or drawing into Civil 3D, use the
Civil 3D Import Data From Land Desktop command.

This command imports the Land Desktop data into the current Civil 3D
drawing. Because Civil 3D stores all objects in drawings, the drawing does not
have to be associated with a project. However, if you are using the Civil 3D
project management features (Autodesk Vault), you can associate the current
drawing with a Civil 3D project and check the data (points, surfaces, and
alignments) in to a specified project.

It is important to note that data units cannot be converted when using the
Import Data From Land Desktop command. Therefore, you must import an
imperial-based project into an imperial-based drawing, for example. If you
want to convert units during the import, you must use the LandXML import
feature.

It is recommended that you import one data type at a time.

To import data from a Land Desktop project

1 Click File menu ➤ Import ➤ Import Data From Land Desktop, or enter

ImportLDTData at the command line.

82 | Chapter 4 Tools for Moving Data

2 In the Import Data From Land Desktop Project dialog box, enter a valid

path, or click to browse to the project root folder and select a path.

For example, C:\Land Projects 2008.

3 In the Project Name list, select a project from which you want to import

data.

After a valid project name is selected, the available data that you can
import is displayed in the dialog box.

4 Navigate to the data you may want to import.

5 Select or clear the check boxes for one or more of the following features:

TIP To obtain the best results, import only one data type at a time.

■ Description Keys: Imports description keys. When you update a

drawing template, it is a best practice is to select this option.

■ Surfaces: Imports surface data.

■ Sites: Using the Sites ➤ migrated (alignment) data collection(s)

imports alignment data.

NOTE To migrate a Softdesk alignment database, you must convert it
into a Land Desktop 3.x through Land Desktop 2008 database before
importing it into Civil 3D.

■ Profiles: Imports both EG (existing ground) and FG (finished ground)

profiles.

NOTE When importing a profile without an associated surface or
alignment, the profile will be static in Civil 3D.

■ Parcels: Imports parcel data.

■ Pipe Runs: Imports pipe run data.

NOTE Before importing Land Desktop pipe run data, make sure that the
Civil 3D pipe network Parts Catalog (Parts List) has the part sizes that
make sense for the pipe network you will be importing. For more
information, see Part Catalog and Parts Lists in the Civil 3D Help.

Using the Import Data From Land Desktop Command | 83

6 Optionally, create new sites to separate the data. Right-click Sites ➤

New. The new site will appear under the Sites collection. You can move
parcels and alignments (and associated profiles) by dragging them into
different sites.

7 Either click Apply, to iteratively import and check messaging, or click

OK.

A message box is displayed, indicating the status of the import. Click OK.

8 Either go to Step 9 or, if you have completed an iterative import process

using Apply, click OK.

9 Verify the data using the following methods:

■ Description keys: In Toolspace, on the Settings tab, expand the

Description Key Sets collection under the Point collection and verify
that the description key files are listed.

■ Surfaces: In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, click the Surfaces

collection (for the current drawing) and verify that the new surface
is included. (You may need to right-click the feature and click Zoom
To to see the surface in the drawing.)

■ Alignments (Sites): In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, if you specified

a Site in the Import Data From Land Desktop Project dialog box, verify
that the site is included. If you did not specify a Site, expand the
Alignments collection and verify that the alignments are included.

■ Profiles: In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, if you specified a Site in

the Import Data From Land Desktop Project dialog box, verify that
the site is included. If you did not specify a Site, expand the
Alignments collection and verify that the profiles are included.

■ Parcels: In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, if you specified a Site in

the Import Data From Land Desktop Project dialog box, verify that
the site is included. If you did not specify a Site, expand the Parcels
collection and verify that the parcels are included.

■ Pipe Runs: In Toolspace, on the Prospector tab, click the Pipe Networks

collection and ensure that the pipes are included.

84 | Chapter 4 Tools for Moving Data

Converting Point Data from Land Desktop

In Civil 3D, you can use the Convert Land Desktop Points command to convert
Land Desktop points in a Civil 3D drawing to actual Civil 3D points.

You may choose to use this command if you do not have Land Desktop
installed, or anytime you have non-Civil 3D point objects (for example, Land
Desktop point objects) in your drawing that need to be converted to actual
Civil 3D point objects.

Using this command, you can set a variety of point settings. For example, you
can set default layers, point creation settings, and more for the points you
will be converting. You can automatically add the converted points to a
newly-created point group or to an existing point group. The existing Civil
3D point number and point name conflict resolution rules are used if a point
ID conflict occurs during the conversion.

For more information, see Converting Land Desktop Points in the Civil 3D
Help.

To convert Land Desktop points

1 In Civil 3D, click Points menu ➤ Utilities ➤ Convert Land Desktop

Points, or enter ConvertLDTPoints at the command line.

2 In the Convert Land Desktop Points dialog box configure point setting

parameters by expanding the parameter, selecting a setting, and then
specifying a new value in the Value column.

3 To assign the Land Desktop points to a point group, select the Add Points

To Point Group check box, and then either select a point group from the
list or create a new point group. If you create a new point group, it is
added to the Add Points To Point Group list.

4 To keep the existing layers referenced by the Land Desktop points, select

the Preserve Original Point Layer check box.

NOTE When this check box is selected, the existing layer of the Land Desktop
point is assigned to the Civil 3D point when it is converted. In the Point
Creation settings, if the Disable Description Keys setting is set to False, and
the Land Desktop point matches a description key, the original point layer
will still be preserved.

5 Click OK.

Converting Point Data from Land Desktop | 85

Importing Point Data from Land Desktop

If you need to import point data from a Land Desktop project, you can import
the external Land Desktop point data (database) file into Civil 3D.

Civil 3D can import point data from an ASCII (text) file or a Microsoft® Access
.mdb file into a drawing. Before you import points into Civil 3D, you must
create a point file format that describes the layout of the point data in the
point data file. For more information, see Understanding Point File Formats
and Creating Point File Formats in the Civil 3D Help. You can add the imported
points to a point group, make adjustments to the data as it is imported,
including elevation adjustments, coordinate transformation, or coordinate
data expansion, and encounter how the imported points are numbered as
they are created.

For more information, see Importing Point Data in the Civil 3D Help.

To import point data

1 In Civil 3D, specify the Point Identity settings, which control the point

numbers of the created points. For more information, see Editing the
Point Identity Settings in the Civil 3D Help.

2 Click Points menu ➤ Import/Export Points ➤ Import.

3 In the Import Points dialog box, specify the point file format that describes

the layout of the data in the point data file you are importing.

4 In the Import Points dialog box, select External Project Point Database

as the format type and select the Land Desktop point database .mdb file
as the source file.

5 Optionally, specify a point group to which the imported points are added.

6 Optionally, specify advanced options for elevation adjustment, coordinate

transformation, or coordinate data expansion.

7 Click OK to import the points.

Using LandXML Export and Import

Using the LandXML export and import features, you can export data from
Land Desktop and import it into Civil 3D.

86 | Chapter 4 Tools for Moving Data

The LandXML import and export features are based on the LandXML schema.
For detailed information about exporting and importing using LandXML, go
to www.landxml.org, or you can refer to the Civil 3D or Land Desktop Help.
The following sections summarize how this functionality works.

LandXML Export

Whether you are exporting from Land Desktop or from Civil 3D, the process
is similar. To export a LandXML file from Land Desktop, click Projects menu
➤ Export LandXML. The LandXML Export dialog box is displayed. You can
choose to export the point, surface, parcel, alignment, and pipe run data from
the drawing.

In Civil 3D, to export data to a LandXML file, either click File menu ➤ Export
➤ Export To LandXML, or right-click an object collection in the Prospector
tree and select Export.

In Civil 3D, when you export from the Prospector tree, the Export To LandXML
dialog box contains a pre-defined selection set of that the data in that
collection. When you export from the File menu, all drawing data is selected
by default, and you can adjust the selection by clearing check boxes.
Alternately, you can specify the objects to export by selecting them from the
drawing.

The following sections provide step-by-step information on the process.

To export LandXML data from Land Desktop

1 In Land Desktop, either click Projects menu ➤ Export LandXML, or

enter LandXMLOut at the command line.

The LandXML Export dialog box is displayed.

To refine the data selection, use any or all of the Points, Surfaces, Parcels,
and Alignments buttons. Each of these buttons displays a dialog box in
which you can specify data in the project to export.

To export the selected data, you must select the check boxes next to the
buttons. For example, to export pipe runs, select the All Pipe Runs check
box. If you clear a check box, then the data is not exported.

If you choose to export surfaces, parcels, or alignments, you can export
COGO point references instead of coordinates for the parcel and
alignment geometry.

LandXML Export | 87

2 Under Export Options, click Data to specify the precision settings for the

exported data, the imperial unit foot type, the units of exported angles
and directions, and whether to export raw descriptions, full descriptions,
or both.

3 Under Export Options, click File and specify the reference location for

the schema, the default destination location for the exported LandXML
file, and whether to export detailed or minimal XML. You can also specify
that the exported file is read-only.

It is recommended to set the coordinate precision to six places when
exporting data for data exchange, transfer, or archiving. You can change
the coordinate precision in the LandXML Export Data Options dialog
box.

To export LandXML data from Civil 3D

1 In Civil 3D, either click File menu ➤ Export ➤ Export To LandXML,

or enter LandXMLOut at the command line.

The Export To LandXML dialog box contains a data tree, where you can
select any of the major data collections for export to the LandXML file.

2 Do one of the following:

■ Select or clear the check boxes to filter the data types that you want

to export to the LandXML file. Then click OK.

NOTE The check boxes have a tri-state display. If only some objects are

selected under a collection, the check box is dimmed ; if all the items

are selected, the check box is selected ; if all the items below the

collection are cleared, the check box for the collection is cleared .

■ If you want to select data in the drawing, click and select the

objects in the drawing. Press Enter when you finish selecting the
objects.

NOTE If a point belongs to more than one point group, the point group
with the highest display order is selected. For more information, see
Changing the Point Group Display Order in the Civil 3D Help.

88 | Chapter 4 Tools for Moving Data

3 In the Export To LandXML dialog box, enter the name of the LandXML

(*.xml) file you want to export. Click Save.

LandXML Import

After you have Land Desktop data exported to a LandXML file, you can easily
import it into Civil 3D using the LandXML Import command.

To import data from a LandXML file into Civil 3D, first specify the import
settings that control the data for import. Then, select the files and the specific
data in the file that you want to import.

The LandXML import functionality automatically handles the conversion
between the units specified in the LandXML file and the current drawing units
specified in Civil 3D.

It is important to note that LandXML does not transform coordinate systems
automatically. Therefore, no specific coordinate system transformation is
applied other than what is specified by the translation and rotation settings.
For more information, see Translating and Rotating LandXML Data in the
Civil 3D Help.

The following section provides step-by-step information on the process.

To import LandXML data

1 In Civil 3D, either click File menu ➤ Import ➤ Import LandXML, or

enter LandXMLIn at the command line.

2 In the Import LandXML dialog box, select or browse to the LandXML

(*.xml) file you want to import. Click Open.

3 In the Import LandXML dialog box, either select sites for the alignments

and parcels or specify None.

4 The data tree displays each of the major data collections in the LandXML

file. Use the data tree to:

■ Navigate to a data collection and view its subcomponents.

■ Expand the collections. Select or clear the check boxes to filter the

data types that you want to import into the drawing. By default, all
data components are selected for import.

LandXML Import | 89

NOTE The check boxes have a tri-state display. If only some objects are

selected under a collection, the check box is dimmed ; if all the items

are selected, the check box is selected ; if all the items below the

collection are cleared, the check box for the collection is cleared .

5 Click OK to import the LandXML file.

After you click OK, the data is imported into the drawing. The data
components are added to the applicable data collections in the Prospector
tree.

As each object is imported, you can use the Event Viewer Vista dialog box to
view the status of each operation. For more information, see The Event Viewer
Vista in the Civil 3D Help.

Civil 3D Migration Commands Summary

This section provides a quick summary of the Civil 3D migration commands
that have just been discussed. Note that in Civil 3D, you can access the
migration functionality either on the menus, or by using the following
commands at the command line.

ImportLDTdata

ConvertLDTPoints

CreatePoints

90 | Chapter 4 Tools for Moving Data

DescriptionCommand

Imports description keys, surfaces, align­ments, profiles, and parcels from a Land
Desktop project into Civil 3D.

Imports LandXML data into Civil 3D.LandXMLIn

Converts Land Desktop points in the
drawing to Civil 3D points.

Imports external project point databases
into Civil 3D.

Adopting Civil 3D
Project Management

Civil 3D includes a range of features for managing your

engineering projects. Once you understand these features, you

can determine the best data structure and workflow to use in

your organization. This chapter takes an in-depth look at Civil

3D project management options and discusses how to

implement them into your organization.

5

In this chapter

■ Overview of Civil 3D

Project Management
Features

■ Understanding Autodesk

Vault

■ Implementing Autodesk

Vault

■ Project User Interfaces

■ Backup Procedures

■ Civil 3D Workflow with

Autodesk Vault

■ Assessing Your Workflow

91

Overview of Civil 3D Project Management
Features

Because designers, civil engineers, and drafters typically work in teams, Civil
3D provides several methods for sharing data. The ways that you choose to
use these features will be a factor in deciding how you want to manage shared
data, and in deciding what level of project management features you need to
implement into your workflow.

The three main methods that can be used for sharing data in Civil 3D are:

■ External references (xrefs)

■ Data shortcuts

■ Object references in Autodesk Vault

Each option is discussed in the following sections.

Using External References

An external reference (xref) inserts the entire contents of another drawing
into the current drawing as a display-only object. This is a standard AutoCAD
function so it exists in Land Desktop too.

To insert external references in Civil 3D, click Insert menu ➤ External
Reference and insert a specified .dwg into your current drawing. Objects in
the referenced drawing cannot be edited, but you can use the Layer Manager
to control the display of separate components.

When deciding if you should use external references, consider the advantages
and limitations noted in the following table:

LimitationsAdvantages

External references are versatile and easy
to use for different .dwg types, whether

design. ment length. For example, you cannot

Because they are display-only, external
references provide no access to object
data, such as surface elevations or align-they contain a single object or a complete

create a surface profile from a surface in
an external reference. Both data shortcuts

92 | Chapter 5 Adopting Civil 3D Project Management